I always like to see which toys magazines choose as their top picks of the year. When I walk into Toys R Us, I get dizzy! Way too much going on. Family Fun has just posted their 2009 Toy of the Year awards. Take a look and let me know if you are a fan of their selections:
Invasion of the Bristlebots – Klutz, $20: Truly mad scientists must have come up with this idea: create tiny robots by strapping motors to toothbrush heads. But, boy, were our testers glad they did! Kids snap together the two ‘bots, then turn on the vibrating motors that make the ‘bots careen and cruise. The accompanying book offers ideas for 12 activities, including racing (build lanes from the included paper punch-outs) and painting (see above). Bonus: kids can decorate the Bristlebots to look like bugs with the kit’s wire and beads.
Pyramid Playmobil, $105, Ages 5 and up, playmobilusa.com: The tiny treasures in this 13-inch-tall pyramid rival those found in Tutankhamen’s tomb, at least in the eyes of our testers. After building the more-than-50-piece structure — complete with hidden passages, breakaway walls, and trick staircases — kids filled the chambers with scorpions, put the skeleton in the sarcophagus, and reenacted ancient life for, well, eons. The set even inspired one 6-year-old and her mom to visit the library to learn about Egypt.
Recycling Truck, Green Toys, $25, Ages 3 to 6, greentoys.com: Kids and parents were equally excited about this sturdy, 12-inch-long truck made from recycled plastic milk containers. The cardboard box (also recycled, naturally) sports images of bottles, cans, and paper that parents can cut out for kids to sort and load into the truck’s slots, then cart away and dump in the nearest bin.
To see the rest of the list, click here.
